Taylor's Skating Show

I first started skating around 3-4 months ago. Since then I have learnt many new tricks such as spining, jumps, foot glides, etc. About a month ago I got asked to be involved in the annual skating club's Ice Show. I had the option to skate in numbers with my normal group level or in something called Black Light. Black Light is where all the lights in the skating arena are turned off but certain lights are left on that show neon & white colours. The theme of the Black Light this year was 'Harry Potter'.

During the practice's we had every Wednesday afternoon and Saturday Morning people that were invloved kept telling me how a guy called Joey Russell was going to be in  the show. I had no idea who Joey was but learned that he is a world famous skater from Labrador City.  Interested in finding out more about Joey, I looked him up on the internet. I read about where he was from and what he does now. I found out that he used to skate in the skating arena I skate in now. I also found out that he was the first Newfoundlander to ever place in skating, he is the Canadian Bronze medalist in Nationals this year.

It was the day of the first show and we had our last practice in the morning. I started skating around and saw a face that I have seen before but didnt know where. I asked one of my skating friends who it was and they immediately replied "thats Joey Russell!" I was so suprised, i just stood there and watched him skate around and do tricks that you would only see on TV in the winter Olympics. When we started showing him the whole Black Light routine, he picked it up instantly. He didnt have to learn much, just where to go and what tricks to do.

The show started at 6 and everyone was ready. Joey did his award winning skating number and other local skaters did theres. When it was finally time for the Black Light performance, everyone was dressed in their wizard robes and had their brooms and wands. The show was amazing, we even got a standing ovation!

The next day my friend told me that the starskaters got a one-on-one practice with Joey. I decided to go watch and see what he showed them. I took my skates with me so I wouldnt have to bring them that night for the next show. When I got to the arena, I sat to watch them, but then Jennifer asked me if I wanted to join them. Nervous with the desision I made I went out and joined them. I was so scared of what he would think about my skating but I finally decided to let him help me. After everyone had their turn he came up to me and asked me to do a spin and a waltz jump. After I did those he asked me how long I had been skating for, I finally told him "3-4 months" and he was totally amazed! He told me that I was doing so good for the amount of time I had been skating. I wouldnt be surprised if I went bright red by then. He asked me where I was from and I told him I was from Australia and he replied that he knew an Australian skater that went to worlds with him. I was so happy that he thought I was good at skating and that I should keep doing what I am doing.

That night was the final show, it was exactly like the night before although when we took out last bow, I bowed with Joey and we laughed together as we skated off. I cant wait for the next years Ice Show when I'm in Starskate and then Joey can teach me more complicated moves in skating.


 

Joey Russell

Dog Sledding

My 40th Birthday was coming up on the 19th April so Kristy decided to get me a surprise gift.  The weekend before my birthday we went out with a few friends and had way too many beers so woke up Saturday morning feeling a little worse for wear.  I heard Kristy running round the house trying to get the kids sorted and dressed and then calling out to me to get dressed in my snow gear... great, really looking forward to rolling round in the snow at -20 deg C feeling like this...

We are all dressed in our snow gear and Kristy says "quick get in the car we are running late!" Late for what I'm thinking... Anyway we pull up at Jean Lake and I see dogs everywhere around this car resembling a 20 room mobile dog hotel.  You are kidding me!  We are going dog sledding! 

I met the Musher, Adam and his wife Nadia while they were getting the dogs lined up.  They are a great young couple trying to make a go of it semi professionally competition Mushing across North America.  He has over 20 dogs and on long races runs a team of 16.  For a lightweight cargo of Cooper and I, he only needed to line up 6 dogs led by Mocha. 

Adam took us right around Jean Lake and surrounds which was a trip lasting about 45 mins.  The great thing was that he then took Kristy and TJ on a trip round the lake as well!

These dogs are work horses.  No breaks for them, not even a washroom break.  That's right these dogs are so coordinated that they can snap one off on the run...  I was pleased that there was some distance between the dogs and us! Yuk!

It was an absolutely fantastic experience and one I will truly remember for a long time to come.

Dog sledding in northern Canada, is that on anyones bucket list?

Heading off around Jean Lake

Steve & Cooper returning to base

50 Years of Frosty Fun

Labrador City has celebrated the Winter Carnival over the past week and it feels like the place has really come alive.  Tanya Beach, which is completely frozen over, has been turned into a big activity area with an ice stage, ice carvings, an outdoor ice rink, a hill for sliding and a snow boarding slope and  ramp.  The area has a real buzz to it and it feels like there are lots of young people there really enjoying themselves.

The Carnival Mascot

An ice carving starting to take shape.

Cooper's Wee College class had a sliding party on Friday morning at the sliding hill, the kids had a great time running up and down the hill, all three of us went in our fast orange sled a couple of times, Cooper slid with some of his friends but mostly on his own.  Cooper is so light and he just flies down the hill, most times he goes up and over the snow barrier at the bottom.  Ryder liked the GT Racers, one of the Mum's kindly took Ryder on this as I wasn't sure if I could drive it!  Afterwards we went to the Scout Hall next to the lake and the kids had hot chocolate and hot dogs! Cooper and Ryder were so worn out when we got home, they both crashed for a couple of hours!

What a gorgeous day!

On Friday night we went to an ice hockey game between two maintenance departments at IOC.  I really enjoyed it because it was so much slower than the NHL hockey game we had seen in Vancouver (obviously).  This time I could follow the puck and actually see out what was going on.

Cooper also tried out the outdoor ice rink on Saturday morning.  It was a lot bumpier than the ice at the arena but he was so excited to be skating on a pond.  We did some more sledding and watched the start of the ice carving competition.  On Saturday night we went to the Lab City ice show (more to follow on that!)  We were going to head over there again this afternoon but the weather has warmed up to +4 degC and it is snowing again.  Despite it being above zero it actually seems colder than the bright and sunny days below zero.  Oh no, I think I am actually complaining about the warmer weather!!

Pond skating

Cooper's Ice Show

Wabush Figure Skating Club held their ice show this weekend.  Cooper was in two numbers, the first was just with the Kidskate boys performing It's My Life. They wore denim jackets and jeans and played air guitar as they skated out into the centre of the rink, skated backwards, did some jumps along the way and skated in circles.  Cooper was so excited and couldn't wait to get back on the ice for his second number, True Colors.  This was the finale for the first half of the show with the entire club's skaters out on the ice.

All of the Mum's of the Kidskate kids had tears in their eyes wtaching them on the ice for the first time.

Cooper and Hayden

The Kidskate class at dress rehearsal

Getting warmer.......

The past week has brought us some lovely weather, we ventured out of the house with only a fleece, no big jackets if we could help it.  It still hasn't been over zero degrees, close to zero though, but for some reason it feels warmer.  The sun seems to have some bite in it and the snow is melting during the day.  This makes an awful mess, the sand that has been sprinkled on the roads, mixed with snow and then pushed up into snow banks remains behind as the snow melts. 

Looking up our street, what a mess.

The roads are all slushy and full of potholes, there was about 15-20cm of ice on the roads which actually made them quite smooth, now there are potholes as the snow melts but the road below is in pretty poor shape too.  We're not sure why this is, it could be because of the frost but maybe they aren't maintained that well given that they are covered in ice for most of the year.  Water runs down the road in the afternoons but it freezes again overnight and there are huge patches of ice that are extremely slippery.

Our front yard still has over a metre of snow in it but it is quite compacted, Cooper went walking on top of it Friday afternoon, he lost a boot and ran back to the porch crying about his cold foot.  Taylor went to find the boot and sunk to the top of her legs, she still wasn't touching the bottom.  I think it will be a few more weeks before we see our grass.

Sitting in the front yard.

Taylor looking for Cooper's buried snow boot

Hard Earned Breakfast

It's a beautiful Sunday morning after a big snowfall overnight - Let's go out for brekkie!  We couldn't even walk out on the front deck because everyone would get covered in snow so there was no choice but to clear it off and clear the bridge (the path) to the driveway.  Everyone stayed warm inside while I went shovelling.  Oh, it's only -15, not that bad, I won't worry about a beanie... 

Bridge cleared, I come back inside to warm up and get some feeling back into my ears that have swelled up and turned out so I resemble the cover of a MAD magazine.  Anyway, lets go get some Toutons!  "Kristy, open the garage door with the remote".  "I'm trying but the door must be frozen!" Taylor chimes in, "Ummm, I think the power is out because like, my computer won't charge".  I text friends up the road, no power there either.  Fantastic, we have dug our way out to the car but we can't get into the garage.  I called Jordan's and confirmed they had power so we were good for breakfast, we just had to get there... Get in the other car and I'll clear off the snow! 

Knee deep in snow, I start clearing off the snow and scraping the ice off every surface - hard work.  I finally get into the car and find every dash light flashing and understand now why the wipers were on full blast - Ryder practising his driving.  Looking down the driveway I see a pile of snow that has been pushed up across our exit by the grader clearing the snow off the roads.  It's probably up to the grill, and let's face it it is only snow, yeah we can push our way through....  Wheels start spinning halfway through, reverse... nothing, forward... nothing - bogged in our own driveway!  Cooper says "Oh well, Dad will have to dig!"  I run back to the front deck get the shovel and start digging the car out. 

The snow had packed in front and back of the car by now and was hard digging.  I get back in - forward... nothing, reverse... nothing, still bogged!  Taylor suggests "Umm, should someone like, push?"  Good idea - get out!  I throw it into reverse and TJ starts pushing like she is possessed!  Look at her, she is hanging for some Newfie breakfast.  A few more revs... She's moving!  We get the car back to it's starting position, I get out again and start digging a path for the car.  Ok, with something that resembled a clear path, TJ goes to the back ready to push us out onto the road, I get back in sweating, pulse racing.  I throw it back into drive... we're through - get in TJ!

We drive down the road a couple of km's to Jordans and pull into the car park, windows frosted up again.  I start to reverse park next to another car, difficult to see... A bit close, I think "I'll just go out and straighten up".    Still sweating, with my heart still racing and the owner of the adjacent car heading towards us through wind and snow, I revert back to my natural instincts thinking I am driving a right hand drive vehicle.  I reach for the gearstick to throw it into drive... but I grabbed the door handle instead...  The door flies open, I hit the accelerator... we are still in reverse!  We head straight back towards the restaurant and I slam on the brakes just in time... Would have been embarrasing getting our order taken without leaving the comfort of our car!

Anyway, we all ordered some toutons, molasses, bacon, eggs and hash browns and washed it down with some hot chocolate and brewed North American style coffee - nothin' like it!

Very cold one day, warm the next.

What a crazy week for weather! I always seem to be writing or talking about the weather but it does dominate our thoughts here in Labrador City.  I looked out the window on Wednesday morning and thought "what a beautiful day", later that morning I heard on the radio that it was -38 degrees (no windchill).  No good looking out the window to decide what to wear.

On Friday, we all wore sweaters (without jackets) as the weather peaked at -8 degrees C and it snowed for most of the day. It hasn't snowed for ages as it has been too cold.  Predictions were for a warm weekend, 25 cm of snow and icy rain (whatever that is).  Today was 0 degrees C, that is a massive temperature variation over three days and I don't think we have ever experienced this variation in Australia.  It was noticeably warmer but it has been snowing solidly all day, there is a snowfall warning for Lab City overnight with 15cm of snow expected. 

We went for a walk this afternoon and felt the icy snow, it's like wet snow fall, when it lands it has the consistency of a slushie drink.  The warmer temperatures are causing lots of snow to melt so it's extra messy and dangerous on the roads.  The sand truck is laying down sand to make it less slippery and there are a lot of loaders and graders moving around on the streets cleaning up the fresh and melting snow.  The rain has also made it overcast, colder days are much sunnier.  Tomorrow's forecast is for a maximum of -13degC with lots more snow, not sure if it will be sunny or not.

Melting snow and sand on Avalon Drive